What Questions Do You Have For Me? Part 1.

You’ve just wrapped up what you feel has been a successful interview. You had great answers to the questions they asked, you were calm, poised and kept good eye contact with the interviewer. Even their body language and follow up questions indicate you might just get the job.

And then they ask you what questions you have for them. Panic sets in. Not having questions prepared can take a positive interview and catapult you to the bottom of the list ruining any chances you had of getting the job. Asking questions at the end of your interview is that important.

So what do you ask? We suggest that you prepare 3-5 insightful questions that show your interest in the position, the company and the people that you would be working with. You should avoid asking any questions regarding salary, benefits, work hours or advancement until either they address the topic or you are in negotiations for the position. Asking these questions too soon can make you look focused on what’s in it for you and not what you can contribute to the organization.

An interview is a two-way street. In other words, it is a process designed for each party to get to know more about the other. For the employer, they are looking for demonstrated expertise and examples of how you have accomplished similar job responsibilities in the past to potentially predicts how you will perform on the job at their organization should they hire you. The questions you ask a potential employer will help you to:

• Express your interest in the job
• Show your research skills, thought process and intelligence
• Help you to learn more about specific aspects of the job, the company, its employees and the environment you would be working in
• Provide you the opportunity to learn about the next step in the hiring process and when to follow up

Now that you know why you should ask questions, give some thought to what you would like to learn about the job opportunity. Next week in part 2 we will provide sample questions to help you leave a lasting impression.